Thread by @AnnaGvarishvili

🧵There's major turmoil in the Georgian judiciary right now, and I'll try to break down what's happening. Bear with me. 1/

First, it’s important to know that in Georgia, the common courts (city/district courts, Courts of Appeal, Supreme Court) as well as the Constitutional Court are fully corrupt and have been captured by the regime. 2/

A group of influential judges within these courts — primarily in the appellate and supreme courts — control the entire system. This group is widely referred to as the "judiciary clan" or simply "the clan." 3/

And please don’t think that this term is used only by some “biased” activists; it’s been applied by high-level Western institutions as well. 4/

Three current judges from this clan — Levan Murusidze, Mikheil Chinchaladze, and Valerian Tsertsvadze — were sanctioned by the U.S. in April 2023. 5/

According to constitutional lawyer @DZedelashvili, the clan’s strategy has been to orchestrate the system so that whenever NGOs filed lawsuits about the elections, cases are terminated at the first instance in the common courts, keeping their hands clean in public view. 6/

This context makes yesterday's decision by Leri (Vladimer Khuchua) so significant. 7/

https://x.com/annagvarishvili/status/1853700555484311942?s=61

Judge Khuchua's courageous decision disrupted their plans. Now that the case is moving to the Courts of Appeals, the clan will have to directly engage in the process and take formal responsibility for it. 8/

This has thrown the system into chaos. Today alone, there have been at least ten separate reports of court sessions being scheduled, then canceled, lawsuits being merged, responses withheld, and more. 9/

The entire process seems like a frantic attempt to find a solution in a highly chaotic situation. 10/

As I write, @NKurdovanidze from @GYLA_CSO has updated us that today’s session has been rescheduled for tomorrow at 14:00 at the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, where the judge will handle all related lawsuits together, complicating matters for the lawyers. 11/

Meanwhile, the Kutaisi Court of Appeals will hold a session today at 16:00, also merging lawsuits. 12/

I hope I’ve at least given a clear picture of what’s unfolding. Georgia’s judicial system is complex and deeply troubled, and as a journalist, I do my best to simplify it for readers. 13/

Being in a rush, I failed to link this thread above.

https://twitter.com/annagvarishvili/status/1853530127658877198